Source 1: Raising money for wounded soldiers, Kent, November 1916

Douglas was back in England when he celebrated his 20th birthday on 30 November 1916. He wrote this brief letter home to thank his family for his present and to pass on his excitement at the prospect of seeing them all at Christmas.

Transcript

RN Air Station
Westgate-on-Sea
Kent
30th Nov[ember] 1916

Dearest & Best Family

Very many thanks for the ring which arrived last
night. It is just the right size, & my elegant finger shows it off to perfection.
A Christmas Bun (I think that is what it is called) full of currants and
nicely crusted outside arrived from Cousin Annie Main.
Things are pretty quiet here, bad weather accounting for several
stale days. Tuesday we had a bit of a hick-boo [slang for a rumpus] – submarines supposed
to be about & I was out for an hour on a Schneider but saw nothing much.
Then of course the fellow who went out after me came down with engine failure
and drifted about for 6 h[ou]rs before he was picked up and then it was
1a.m. before he got back: which with a Zepp night on Monday meant two
late nights so I wasn't feeling up to much on Wednesday when at the
last moment I was taken into the football team for Officers v. Men.
It was a hard game. In the second half we were playing uphill against
the wind, and then I got laid out for a few seconds by getting the ball
straight from a hefty P.O.s [Petty Officer's] foot in the forehead. So I'm pretty sore all
over today and my neck is a bit stiff but otherwise am enjoying
life. We are having a sale of work on the 7th to provide a beanfeast
for the wounded soldiers of the local hospital in whom nobody has
yet taken the slightest interest. Their show will probably take place at
Christmas with a tea, entertainment & Christmas tree. The men
on the station are really making some wonderfull things, the most
wonderful perhaps being a doll's House fitted with electric light, an
electric lift, French windows etc etc etc, there is a verandah all
round, deck chairs, garden seats etc. We expect to get about £50 in
tickets for the raffle. Am counting the days till the 22nd [Dec]
Tell Mary to keep her brains working: am carrying out present suggestions
but there is plenty of room for other brainwaves.